Not Half Bad

From: Fort Worth, Texas

Genre: Folk Punk, Punk, Orgcore

For Fans Of: Andrew Jackson Jihad (Knife Man type stuff), Against Me!, O! Pioneers!!!

Ah, how refreshing. A folk punk band who doesn't want to just rip off Andrew Jackson Jihad or Days n' Daze. It soothes me in a way that I can't quite explain to hear a vocalist that isn't trying to do that weird nasal screech thing Days N' Daze does (no offense love that band) or simply try as hard as possible to sound like Sean Bonnette of Andrew Jackson Jihad. Maybe, though, that is because, while this band does carry many "folk punk" qualities, they're for the most part a folk punk band. Instead of the folk punk goal of sounding exactly like Ramshackle Glory and calling it a day, Not Half Bad is significantly more driven by the punk stylings of "orgcore" bands such as Hot Water Music and O!!! Pioneers!!!. This isn't at all a bad thing, however. It definitely separates them from the millions of other bands playing folk punk now, while their large folk punk influence separates them from all the bands trying to play orgcore. Not Half Bad truly exists in some beautiful middle ground between two genres where I increasingly find many bands to stomach, and in doing so, really present some totally banging punk tunes. If you want to sing along and be pretty out of time while doing it, but be ok with it, Not Half Bad is probably the band for you. (Side Note: I still listen to their song "Punk rock is a full time job" pretty much daily. Check it out.)

Free Tunes: https://nothalfbad.bandcamp.com/album/sorry-dudes-ep

Beds

From: Sterling, Virginia

Genre: Emo, Twinkle

For Fans Of: Texas is the Reason, Algernon Cadwallader, Snowing

Let me start by saying that I do enjoy a significant amount of emo, and twinkly emo a very large amount. However, like many bands in many genres, a lot of bands within the "twinkly emo" style of emo fall into a rut where they don't strike their own path, but rather, follow the formula of other bands that are already successful within the style. Essentially, far too many of the bands get lost in a crowd of other bands that sound exactly like Snowing. Luckily, Beds is not one of those bands, and consistently delivers some grade A, top notch emo. This band understands that their guitar parts have to be damn noodly, but also carry a level of melody that retains the listeners attention and makes the songs instantly memorable and a bit more connectable, as the emotion isn't hidden behind layers of "Oh look what I can do" noodle-ieness. This is where Beds is similar to bands that helped to sort of pioneer and expand the style, such as Snowing and Algernon Cadwallader, as they never get too caught up in being a "twinkle" band. If you're looking for some mega rad emo to get sad to, don't look much farther than Beds, as they're your guys.

(P.S. They just put out a super rad split with Flowers Taped to Pens/Bread Club/Skull kid, a few of my other favorite bands going right now.)

Michael Jordan EP: https://bedz.bandcamp.com/album/michael-jordan-ep

Flowers Taped to Pens/Bread Club/Skull Kid split: h
ttps://bedz.bandcamp.com/album/7-split-w-flowers-taped-to-pens-skull-kid-and-bread-club

Grim Luck!

From:  San Diego, California

Genre: Ska Punk, Roma-Jazz punk

For Fans Of: Gogol Bordello, The Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Butcher Knives

First of all, before you begin to get your hopes up after hearing this totally amazing, mind numbingly energetic, fun, and all around fantastic band, it does NOT seem if they have any plans to tour extensively outside of California or record new material at this time. Now let me explain why that is the biggest bummer in the entire world and why it's such a tragedy. Grim Luck! doesn't just provide some enjoyable ska punk. They provide ska punk that is so distinctly it's hard to think of a truly fair comparison for them. They borrow from a vast multitude of genres, including, but not limited to Roma "gypsy" jazz (many people within the "gypsy" culture consider the word to be a slur), hardcore, and ska punk to create one totally massive pummeling sound. Every song is a flurry of horns, pounding drums, and vocals that beg to be shouted along to. The energy never truly drops with Grim Luck! and it's just infectious. These songs make you want to dance, punch the air, and sing along. I challenge anyone to try and find at least one song on this release, or any of their releases, that they don't absolutely fall in love with. Oh yeah, and they have a song about the Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, "Going to Candied Island!!". I also love their use of exclamation points.

Free Tunes: https://grimluck.bandcamp.com/album/alexandra-volume-2-the-dread

Kill Lincoln (RIP RIP RIP)

From: Moshington, D.C.
Genre: Ska Punk, Pop punk, Joy for ska kids everywhere.
For Fans Of: Survay Says!, Less than Jake, I voted for Kodos, Skacore

Oh, how bittersweet this post is. On one hand, it is important, and necessary, to celebrate one of the greatest young ska bands of our generation, but, on the other hand, it is cruel that they would go on hiatus after such a stellar ep. But alas, that is how life is, and it is better to have loved and lost Kill Lincoln then to have never had Kill Lincoln at all. I first had the good fortune of stumbling upon Kill Lincoln while looking into attending a Big D and the kids table show, where they were opening. Naturally, as I do with all openers, I looked for a bandcamp and jammed out a bit. Upon first fatefully clicking on one song (that song was "Dad fight" due to the amazing title), I was blown away. The band showed a mastery over hardcore that surprised me since I was supposed to be listening to a ska punk band. Upon listening to the rest of the album (the album is "That's cool....in a totally negative and destructive way", by the way), however, I was pleasantly surprised by a band who carried the pop punk/ska blend of Less than Jake, but with much more of a hardcore punk undertone. This was skacore that wasn't about trying to sound as much like Leftover Crack as possible, but
instead forging a sound all their own and powering through with it. With this most recent ep, Kill Lincoln continues on with that sound, plowing through catchy ska/pop punk tunes on songs like "8$ Beer Night" and "Good Riddance to Good Advice" while keeping their hardcore energy on songs "I'm getting too old for this shit". Overall, this is yet another truly stellar release from a ska punk band gone much too soon. Hopefully this break really is just a hiatus, and Kill Lincoln will be back in the future with more songs that I can bob my head and sing along to while getting awkward looks in public. I will miss this band dearly, and highly recommend that anyone who hasn't listened to them yet stops screwing around and gets on it so that they can share in my time of pain/mourning. Also I heard something about a split with the Best of the Worst and Still Alive awhile ago, but haven't seen anything about it in awhile. I really need that split guys, please, for me. And finally, fuck you Alan.

Tunes (Ranked in order of my favorite release by them):
1.) That's Cool...In a Totally Negative and Destructive Way
https://killlincolndc.bandcamp.com/album/thats-cool-in-a-totally-negative-and-destructive-way

2.) Good Riddance to Good Advice
https://killlincolndc.bandcamp.com/album/good-riddance-to-good-advice

3.) You Were There
https://killlincolndc.bandcamp.com/album/you-were-there

Black Wine

From: New Jersey
Genre: Psych rock, Punk, Indie, Grunge
For Fans Of: Mudhoney, Jesus Lizard, Dinosaur Jr., Pale Angels (just look at that tie in!)

Seeing as I just posted about a Mikey Erg band, I felt that it was only fair to post another band from a different Erg, Jeff Erg (I'd post Joey's band, but Joey is in The Night Birds, and I'm pretty sure everybody knows them at this point). Black Wine is a unique mix of a lot of different styles, with their truly only consistent quality being a little bit of crunch and fuzz on the guitars. They take influence from the grunge and indie movements in the 90's, and kind of flucuate between those two sounds, often blending them. There is definitely a strong underlying pop punk influence similar to Ergs songs where Jeff did vocals instead of Mikey. Personally, I always loved Jeff's vocals and was really stoked hearing him take much larger of a vocal role in this band. You can't really download any of their stuff off of bandcamp for whatever reason, but they're definitely worth a listen. No idea if they're active or inactive at this point, but let's really hope for active. ("Pushing through the foam" is a fantastic song, and the video for it is highly recommended as a starting point for this band).

Tunes: https://blackwine.bandcamp.com/album/summer-of-indifference

Pale Angels

From: England/United States
Genre: Noise rock, Noise pop, Psych rock
For Fans Of: Dinosaur Jr., The Deer Hunter, Perfect Pussy

Despite my deep rooted hatred for modern, warped tour-core pop punk, I secretly have a very sincere love for pop punk that is done well and doesn't make me want to shoot myself in the face. This hidden love for pop punk is what lead me to love and obesses over the Ergs, and more importantly, their ever active drummer/front man, Mikey Erg. Almost everyone knows of Mikey Erg, as he plays in just about every god damn band ever, and most, if not all of those bands, absolutely rule. As one of his bands that rule, is Pale Angels, a noise rock band consisting of two members from England, and him from the U.S. The band delivers a punk fueled noise rock/noise pop sound, dousing all the songs in sweet, sweet, thick, layers of fuzz. Every song on this record is an absolute gem, instantly memorable and forcing you to think of such noise rock/indie giants as Dinosaur Jr.. It really is difficult to sum up this album, so just check it out and give it a listen for yourself, and make sure to keep an eye out for their record coming later this year, as this record was criminally underrated when it originally came out. (P.S. if these guys are ever in the states again, go see them. I had the pleasure of seeing them and they're all the best guys and put on one totally deafening/amazing performance). 

Tunes: https://paleangelsband.bandcamp.com/album/primal-play

Lewd Gesture

From: Seattle, Washington
Genre: Powerviolence
For Fans Of: Spazz, Charles Bronson, Man is the Bastard

You know what I was really sick of? Guitars. God those things suck, always providing notes in a higher register than basses. Seriously, who needs them? Lewd Gesture sure as hell don't, and they seem to be doing just fine without them. This ep provides a blistering 15 minutes of straight drum and bass powerviolence, and doing it in the best way possible, with plenty of blast beats, a little bit of noise to keep the Man is the Bastard school of powerviolence happy, and even some vocals that remind me a lot of MITB. It's good to know that there are still PV bands out there who worship MITB (as it should be) instead of joining the new era of powerviolence that revolves around ripping off Weekend Nachos and Punch's sounds without just changing their band names to Weekend Nachos 2.0. I dig this album/ep/whatever you want to call it a lot, although, in the long run, some longer noise passages and maybe a guitar would help to more fully flesh out their sound a bit.

Free Tunes: https://lewdgesture.bandcamp.com/album/the-self-titled-ep

Sun Voyager

From: New York
Genre: Psych Rock, Noise rock, fuzzy goodness
For Fans Of: Together Pangea, The Black Lips

Do you like your music fuzzy? Do you like it mellow and obviously under the influence of some weed (or other substances)? Then Sun Voyager is the band for you! From somewhere in New York, these guys provide fuzzy, punky music heavily reminiscent of such bands as Together Pangea and The Black Lips, only with even more fuzz. Don't be fooled, however, as under all that fuzz lie guitar riffs that are laid on thick and bluesy, providing a nice crunch to the sound. This band should be on the radar of every good fan of stoner musics radar, as they will hopefully be around for awhile and keep kicking out the jams while they are.

Tunes:https://sun-voyager.bandcamp.com/album/lazy-daze

ROMP

From: New Brunswick, NJ
Genre: Indie, punk, pop punk
For fans of: Cayentana, The Sidekicks, Jets to Brazil

ROMP plays a genre that I have an extreme weakness for, and that is catchy, jangly, indie pop/punk that will have you singing along at every possible moment. The songs are catchy, easily stuck in your head, and will have you singing along almost immediately, which really should be the end game of any pop influenced band. The great part is, however, that the songs aren't catchy in the annoying, repetitive way, but rather the kind of catchy that happens when you hear a lyric that makes you think "wow this is relevant to me, I'm going to remember to this", and you do, and then you belt it out in your room/car/wherever you are listening to it, causing odd looks while people try to figure out what's wrong with you. I definitely wouldn't sleep on this bands, as doing so will result in your life being sad and empty without these total jam worthy songs.

Free Tunes: https://rompistight.bandcamp.com/